13 Comments
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KnockKnockGreenpeace's avatar

Boy, am I thankful for elected officials like Andy Kim and those who have, like me, been collecting and connecting dots for 10 years now. Yes, please keep trying to get through to your family and friends who are not making the connections that show we must be engaged NOW.

I have a dear friend who admits her head is in the sand; she has all but stopped paying attention to the news but clearly knows that she ought to. We had a chat yesterday, and she asked me which news she should know about this week. I let her own smoldering guilt answer that question when I replied, "You should know about all of it and none of it--but it has to be done."

It has been very painful to follow all of the transgressions by Trump since 2016--no, he did not pause during Biden's term. Now he has threatened or destroyed most of the things that are important to me. We cannot look away, though, or how are we to do what we can, when we can, to restore our democracy?

Sharon C Storm's avatar

It is quite an honor, imho, to be a constituent of Sen. Andy Kim. He was my Representative before he was elected to the Senate, and I have had several conversations with him. I find him to be a man of integrity and honor, and I’m so glad that he responds to my concerns whenever I contact him. I know he cares about the people of NJ, and the rest of the country, too.

Phoenix213's avatar

On J/6 I watched in horror and cried until the insurrectionists left our Capitol. That is when I fell in love with Andy Kim. (I'm old enough to be his great-grandmother)

I saw him as the only one in Congress, on his hands and knees, helping with the clean up the Rotunda. It is an image that I will never forget.

Andy Kim didn’t actually see the damage live until nearly midnight, after the House had voted down the last challenge to the presidential election result.

When he finally did walk around the rotunda — his favorite and arguably the most storied room of the building — the disarray left him speechless. Water bottles, broken furniture, tattered Trump flags and pieces of body armor and clothing were strewn on the marble floor as if it were an abandoned parking lot.

“It’s a room that I love so much — it’s the heart of the Capitol, literally the heart of this country. It pained me so much to see it in this kind of condition.”

“I was just overwhelmed with emotion,” Kim, 38, told NBC Asian America. “It’s a room that I love so much — it’s the heart of the Capitol, literally the heart of this country. It pained me so much to see it in this kind of condition.”

So for the next hour and a half, he crouched down and filled a half dozen trash bags with debris. When he finished cleaning up the rotunda, he began working on the adjacent rooms, including the National Statuary Hall and the Capitol crypt downstairs.

Then he returned to the House floor to debate Pennsylvania's vote count, a session that lasted until 3 a.m. By Thursday evening, he’d been awake for more than 36 hours.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/behind-viral-photo-rep-andy-kim-cleaning-midnight-after-riots-n1253519

Our nation needs and deserves more congresspeople like Andy Kim, not only for his selflessness but as a person that reveres what our nation's Constitution stands for.

Kate O'Shea's avatar

This is an excellent piece and well produced video, I hope it is shared widely shared! Thank you Senator Kim for your patriotism, and thank you Contrarian publishing this and so many other important pieces. I'm so happy & proud the be a paid subscriber :)

Kim Probst's avatar

Wow, nice work- clear about the present threat- Thank you Senator Kim- now let's all get going on the project of making the present mess part of our past...

A. Lastick's avatar

Thank you, patriot Andy! Now is the time to act! American justice MUST get him out of the White House by any legal means possible.

NOW!

Michelle Jordan's avatar

Very well said Andy Kim.

Pat Jones Garcia's avatar

Very much on point, Senator Kim. The Trump government is not working for us, the people, but destroying our government and country for his sick fairy tale. If more people weren't so ignorant and/or lazy I do not believe this unpresidential behavior would be allowed to continue. Thank you for your efforts.

Freddie Baudat's avatar

I’m only recently becoming aware of this senator. He was on Coffee with Contrarians this morning and Heather Cox Richardson interviewed him a few weeks ago. I’m really impressed with his forthright approach using a calm demeanor. Much wisdom in this one.

Andy Fairchild's avatar

Reader? Ask Sen Kim if he knows of another DS alum that ran (unsuccessfully) for Senate and who he ran against. Thank you.

Scott Williams's avatar

Get a better mic. Like duh?

Irena's avatar

Just as I have my own opinions and information, and just as I am the one to make up my own mind, so must I agree that the "friends and neighbors" are also entitled to their opinions and their choices. I can support like minded candidates and I can vote in every election. That is what I can do.